WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Undetected: Pauline Cushman

Episode Date: April 15, 2024

This week, Alessia and Megan jump into the Civil War to explore the fascinating story of the Union spy: "Miss Major Pauline Cushman."

Welcome to Undetected on Radio Free Hillsdale. Go undercover with your hosts, Alessia Sandala and Megan Lee, as they uncover the stories of spies from every country and time. The most thrilling, yet the most secret of lives in history. It's that time of the week. Spy time. That has a nice ring to it. I'm Megan. And I'm Alessia.

The feature of today's episode is Pauline Cushman, our third lady spy of the series. Fast forwarding, just under a century from last episode's Revolutionary, war spy, we find ourselves in the midst of another American war, the Civil War. Pauline Cushman is actually not even our spy's real name. The markings of a spy since the very beginning. Cushman was born as Harriet Wood on June 10, 1833 in New Orleans, and she moved with her family to establish a Native American trading post in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at an early age. Cushman grew up riding horses, using shotguns and canoeing down local rivers with her seven

brothers, but she dreamed of becoming an actress. At 18 years old, she was in New York City pursuing that dream. That was where Cushman met her husband, Charles Dickinson, a musician who joined the Union Army, but after having two children together, Dickinson died in 1862. Leaving her two children with family, Cushman moved to Louisville, Kentucky, which was a hotbed of Union and Confederate Division at the time. That's where the real story of Pauline Cushman, the Union spy, starts to unfold. of 1863, while Cushman was performing in the play The Seven Sisters, two Confederate soldiers offered her money to propose a toast to the Confederacy in the play. The union authorities that Cushman consulted after this encounter told her to accept the request,

so she did. God bless Jefferson Davis and God bless the South. Cushman was fired from the company, but was offered a new job of spying for the union. Well, that's an exciting start to her spying career. Yes, it certainly is, and we're just getting into it. Cushman seamlessly integrated herself into the Confederate community with her acting skills. Legend has it that she stopped the poisoning of Union soldiers by the owner of a boarding house she was staying at and confiscated important Confederate supplies for the Union while disguised as a Confederate officer at one point.

Cushman relied on her femininity to allow her to be relatively unnoticed. Confederate soldiers would often talk openly in her presence, thinking she could not possibly be, a spy. But Cushman's success was not going to last any longer. Under the alibi of a woman searching for her brother, Cushman gained access to Confederate camps in Nashville. Despite being specifically warned not to steal any physical documents, Cushman stole battle plans from the camp, stuffed them into her boot, and started making her way back to Union territory. You have to hand it to her, though. Cushman is a force to be reckoned with. The courage is there for sure, but at what cost? Cushman was caught by Confederate soldiers tried as a spy and sentenced to death by hanging.

But Cushman's luck held out. As a result of her sudden illness, which may or may not have been faked, the execution was delayed. Cushman was freed when Union forces under General William Rosecrans captured Shelbyville, Tennessee, where she was being held. After that, Cushman's fame soared. She was awarded the honorary rank of Revette Major by President Lincoln and given a military uniform. Stories of Miss Major Cushman were circulated with great popularity. She even performed under

circus manager P.T. Barnum in 1864. That's the guy from the greatest showman. Great movie, by the way. But with the country struggling to put itself back together after the war, Cushman's fame began to wane. Cushman returned to California, where she had lived in 1872 in an attempt to act again, but her health was declining. She suffered from multiple illnesses, and some sources say she became addicted to pain medications. On December 2nd, 1893, Cushman died alone and impoverished, but not forgotten. She was buried with military honors in the San Francisco National Cemetery. Her grave marker has intrigued many, reading simply Pauline C. Friar, Union Spy.

What a story. Despite meeting a sad end, I'm glad Cushman received her due recognition at her burial. Not many spies are able to. Cushman's life is certainly a tale for the ages. The life of Pauline Cushman celebrated Union spy and scout, a biography written by one of Cushman's acquaintances in 1865, put it well. Since the days of the maid of Syragosa, no woman has ever lived who has so completely come up to the ideal of a heroine as Miss Pauline Cushman. I'm Alessia.

And I'm Megan. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Undetected. Tune in next week to hear the story of the Spanish O'SPaliener. aristocrat and OSS operative, Aline Griffith, on Radio Free Hillsdale, 101.7 FM.